Safety Warning
DIY auto repair can cause serious injury, fire, or vehicle damage. These guides are for informational purposes only. Always follow OEM torque specs, wear PPE, and consult a certified mechanic if you are unsure. You are solely responsible for your safety.
Intermittent Or Poor Connections: Notes
- GM-Approved Terminal Test Kit (J-35616-C)
- Terminal Repair Kit (J-38125-D)
- Instruction Manual (J-38125-4)
- Flat-Wire Probe Adapter (J-42675)
Most intermittent conditions are caused by faulty electrical connections or wiring. Inspect for the following items:
- Wiring broken inside the insulation.
- Poor connection between the male and female terminal at a connector.
- Poor terminal to wire connection. Some conditions which fall under this description are poor crimps, poor solder joints, crimping over the wire insulation rather than the wire itself and corrosion in the wire to terminal contact area, etc.
- Wire insulation which is rubbed through. This causes an intermittent short as the bare area touches other wiring or parts of the vehicle.
- See Inducing Intermittent Fault Conditions in order to duplicate the conditions required in order to verify the complaint.
- See Testing for Electrical Intermittents for test procedures to detect intermittent open, high resistance, short to ground, and short to voltage conditions.
- See SCAN TOOL USAGE for advanced intermittent diagnosis.
Use the Manual With the Right Hardware
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When to See a Mechanic
Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:
- • You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
- • Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
- • The engine overheats, stalls repeatedly, or misfires under load.
- • You are missing required tools, torque specs, or safe lifting equipment.
- • You are not confident in the next step or safety outcome.
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